


Emerald Green meets Sky Blue

by Lynn_Stewart



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Roommates, adrienette - Freeform, roommates au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Stewart/pseuds/Lynn_Stewart
Summary: Marinette and Adrien move in together, only for both of them to realize how hard being a superhero and going to college will be.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 11
Kudos: 80





	1. Roommates

**Author's Note:**

> Note: All (human) characters are aged up to around 19-23 but the characters in the show are around 13-15

Marinette was overwhelmed as she watched Adrien wipe his forehead of sweat with the shirt he had been previously wearing, his abs and toned waist almost glistening in the August sun. Ladybug’s luck had finally worn off on Marinette when Adrien offered to be her roommate after she mentioned not being able to find one. They had both applied for the same community college and Adrien had wanted to get away from his father for a while. Marinette was thankful for the coincidence that she would have a friend to count on and for her newfound confidence with Adrien, but hiding being Ladybug would be harder than ever, since they were stuck together in a small studio apartment that was near their college. “Is that the last of it?” Adrien asked, setting a cardboard box down on the hardwood floor in Marinette’s new room.  
“Yep, now we can finally relax,” Marinette had also been sweating from the late summer heat, but Adrien insisted that he carried up the heavier boxes containing her sewing machine or desk parts. In solution to her uncomfortable body temperature, Marinette tied the end of her tank top into a knot and her now chest-length hair into the highest ponytail she could, pinning any flyaway hairs with loose body pins from her purse. Adrien rested his back on a closet door that was behind him, sliding down to rest on the ground.  
“How about I order some lunch?” Marinette suggested as she took out her phone from her back jean short pocket. Jean shorts weren’t ideal for moving but she wasn’t going to wear pyjama shorts in front of Adrien, which was her only other option.  
“Sounds great.” He huffed. After lots of convincing, Adrien was allowed to take a break from modelling to go to college, so now he was free from the strict diet that his father held him under.  
“How about Pizza Hut?” She scrolled through the menu, looking for a small enough pizza for just the two of them.  
“I’m fine with anything,” Adrien shrugged. Another good quality of Adrien was that he was easy to agree to anything. He didn’t mind having to eat Pizza Hut or anything else that she had suggested. As she stared at a photo of a delicious pizza, topped with black olives, cheese, jalapeno peppers and pepperoni, an idea crossed her mind.  
“How about we invite Alya and Nino over and we can eat lunch together?” Marinette asked. Adrien’s expression told her everything she needed to know. He hadn’t seen Nino since the end of high school and they didn’t get a chance to hang out during summer because of complications with Gabriel’s last-minute college decision for Adrien. He was like an excited puppy, happy to see his owner again. Adrien waited excitedly for the pizza, and his friends to arrive.

A knock came from the other side of the door, causing Adrien to open it quickly. Instead of Nino and Alya like he was hoping, Nathaniel stood there, wearing a red Pizza Hut hat and holding a pizza box with Marinette’s name written on it. “Nathaniel?” Adrien asked the red-head.  
“Adrien! Hey!” Nathaniel wedged the pizza box between his side and his arm, holding it in place. Marinette excitedly appeared behind Adrien, hearing the familiar voice. Adrien found himself feeling territorial over Marinette whenever Luka or Nathaniel would join them, on rare occasions. Though he wasn’t able to see Nino, Marinette had gotten an intern job at his father’s company and he had offered to walk her home after every day, and they would run into one of the two boys sometimes.  
“Hey, Nathaniel!” Marinette smiled.  
“Hey, Marinette! Are you two living together?” Nathaniel asked as he peeked inside the room. Nathaniel handed over the pizza box to Marinette, their hands brushing briefly. Neither thought much of it but Adrien’s mind screamed in jealousy.  
“Yeah, we are both attending community college that’s nearby,” Marinette explained as she set the box down on a kitchen counter, keeping her attention on the red-head.  
“Oh, cool, I’m attending an art school just down the road, but for now I’m working as a delivery guy,” Nathaniel smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. He had wanted his first job to be related to his art passion but until he finished college, he was stuck as a pizza delivery guy for Pizza Hut.  
“Well, as long as you have money coming in, I’m sure you’ll find your perfect job soon!” Marinette beamed with confidence and assurance. Adrien had only seen her confidence towards him up to a few months ago, which is when Marinette hit her confidence jackpot. Adrien and Marinette said their goodbyes to Nathaniel and closed the door, resting back on the couch.

Later, Alya and Nino finally arrived and the four enjoyed pizza together, sharing stories of their days apart. Alya had gotten a journalist job for a local newspaper and Nino was busy all over the city with different parties requesting a DJ. As Marinette ate her pizza, she regretted getting a pizza with jalapeno peppers as she felt her tongue sting. “Ow!” She whined before quickly swallowing the pepper and chugging the rest of her water that she had been sipping on throughout the day. Marinette made the decision to cut coffee out of her life, since pulling all-nighters almost every night and 4 cups of coffee a day wasn’t good for her health.  
“That’s why I picked the pepper’s off of my slice,” Nino bragged. Marinette heard a soft giggle come from Adrien, which wasn’t completely out of character for him but he rarely laughed at her misfortune. She didn’t take it personally, she would’ve done the same thing if it happened to him.  
“Sure, that’s why you took them off,” Alya cocked an eyebrow at her boyfriend, suspicious of his intentions. She already knew that he was too scared to try anything spicy.  
“It was!” Nino whined in protest. The 3 chuckled at his behaviour and soon the subject was quickly changed to Marinette’s least favourite subject to talk about with her best friend, Ladybug.  
“I swear! I’m this close to finding out who she is!” Alya gestured her hands into a pinch, her index finger floating just above her thumb.  
“Oh yeah? What’s your evidence this time?” Adrien cocked an eyebrow, thankful she was more determined to find out his partner’s secret identity then his. He knew that if she found out who Ladybug was, he was next but that was a problem for the future.  
“Well, remember when she dropped that history book? Well, if she was a high schooler then, that can only mean she should be starting college soon!” She explained with excitement.  
“Why would she apply for college? She spends a lot of time-saving Paris,” Marinette was quick with a retort. Marinette knew that managing college and being Ladybug would be hard work, but she wasn’t going to give up her possible future for her double life, she would find a way to work it out, she always did.  
“Well, I can see your point there.” She rolled her eyes with the realization that Marinette presented to her. Adrien thought about his own experience with college, what his father might ask if he sees that Adrien is possibly slipping behind or missing classes. The pressure of college and being one of Paris’s guardian angels is overwhelming, to say the least. As Nino and Alya left, Marinette was thankful that they didn’t unpack any dishes that she would need to clean, she was already too exhausted.


	2. You shouldn't say that y'know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an Akuma battle, Ladybug asks Chat an important question that been on her mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All (human) characters are aged up to around 19-23 but the characters in the show are around 13-15

As Ladybug watched the magic ladybugs fix all the damage the Akuma caused, she noticed Chat was leaning against a pillar, looking out into the distance and admiring the same view that she was. The look of amazement in his eyes caught her gaze, unable to look away. No matter how many times they had saved Paris, watching the ladybugs cure the Paris atmosphere was still mesmerizing to him.  
Ladybug thought about what she said to Alya earlier that day. She caught herself wondering what Chat was doing for college.

She had found out that they were the same age when he apologized for being late to a patrol routine, saying his highschool graduation had been running late. She had mentioned that her high school graduation was running late as well, but she managed to sneak out of there quickly.  
“Chat?” Ladybug mumbled. The sound of evening silence rolled over Paris as the Eiffel Tower lit up in the dark and the warm summer breeze blew gently against Ladybug’s face.  
“Yes?” He answered, mild confusion laced in his voice. He would’ve expected his partner to be gone by now, but this time she stayed despite the warning that her earrings gave.  
“Are you going to college?” She asked as she sat down to admire the few visible stars that hadn’t been outshined by the city lights.  
“Yeah, but I’m hoping it won’t get in the way of spending time with you, milady.” He smirked as he pushed his body off the pillar to stand upright.  
Ladybug flicked his nose away, moving her face to the city to hope the lights would wash out her pink cheeks.  
“And what if you can’t, would you give up your future for Paris?” The seriousness in her voice sent a sudden chill down Chat’s spine. He hadn’t thought about what would happen if he had to give his entire life, just to save Paris. He almost didn’t want to.  
“I mean, I would give up my future and life for Paris. Heck, I would give up my life just so you could be safe.” He let out a morbid chuckle. Ladybug shot her head over to look at him. She knew that she had to be protected at all costs during Akuma battles but she hated how Chat carelessly threw his life away just so she was safe.  
“You shouldn’t say that y’ know,” She folded her arms across her chest, lowering her voice to just above a whisper. “I wouldn’t be happy if you died just for me,” Chat stayed silent, hearing the emotion in her voice took a hit at his mind. Chat heard a sniffle coming from Ladybug before quickly wiping her eye with her wrist.

“Milady, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what I’d do with myself if you got hurt.” He swept his hand beneath her bangs, pushing them aside as he forced her to look at him. The beeping of her earrings made her pull away, not consciously but her body moved on its own.  
“Thanks, Chat.” She smiled before leaping off into the distance, leaving a love-struck kitten to admire her from afar.

Adrien waddled home, tired from the Akuma attack only to see Marinette passed out on the couch. She had obviously fallen asleep quickly, a given from the lack of a pillow or blanket. Adrien spotted a blanket that she had made for an upcoming project for school. They were already 2 weeks into college and Marinette was already pulling all-nighters every night, trying to get work done on time. He noticed her room light still on when he had gotten up to use the bathroom one night, and when he quietly opened the door, expecting to see her asleep on her bed, she was sewing the baby blue blanket that now sat across her bed.

Adrien grabbed the blanket and laid it over her, making sure she was warm. Their apartment tended to get colder at night since they were one of the lower levels of the tall building, so blankets when sleeping were a must. As he reluctantly worked on an essay that was due the next day, he felt his eyes getting heavier as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. His elbow propping him up. The next morning, Adrien was woken up by the shrill beeping of his alarm clock.  
Before his mind could register where he was, he felt the soft material that was draped across his back. As he got up and shut off his alarm, he caught a glimpse into the kitchen where he saw Marinette cooking something over top of the stove. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she had stood in a sports bar and biker shorts. Marinette had gotten into the habit of going on morning runs whenever she had the time, which she had a lot of recently.  
“Good morning.” He yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he made his way to the fridge.  
“Morning sleepyhead,” She moved the pan from one side to the other. Adrien noticed the redness on her cheeks and forehead, telling him that she had already gone for her run. “I woke up last night and saw your desk light on, so I wrapped you up in a blanket so you wouldn’t be cold,”  
“T-thanks,” Adrien said, taking out a coffee capsule and popping it in her Keurig that Marinette had brought, even though she cut coffee out of her routine, she let Adrien use it. Even though him drinking coffee on a daily wasn’t any better for him then it was for her, he still had a better sleep schedule then she did. “Also, you fell asleep on the couch last night,”  
“Y-yeah, I finished the design that I have been working on and when I relaxed to watch T.V, I fell asleep almost immediately,” Her brain quickly let out a lie, similar to what she would tell her parents when they would find her passed out on her chaise, sleeping in hours after a normal waking time.  
“Marinette…” His voice trailed. “You have to stop pulling all-nighters, it’s not good for you or your mental state,” He knew about her anxiety and insecurities when she asked him to drive her to her therapist when her car was being repaired one week. Marinette wasn’t only going for her anxiety though. She was going to a special therapist that Master Fu had mentioned to Tikki, who then told her about it.

She was a friend of Master Fu’s, a younger woman, about in her late 20’s or early 30’s. She helped with any possibly traumatic events that Ladybug had witnessed. Adrien was told about her but only after Ladybug had mentioned it.  
He hadn’t gone before because he didn’t feel the need to, he had gone through enough trauma that he almost became immune to the injuries to his friends. Not completely immune, like when Ladybug was hit by an Akuma’s attack, he became furious and lashed out in anger, though it was a big event, she could handle herself.  
“I know but…” She avoided his gaze, turning back to the omelette she was making and slipping it out of the pan and onto a plate. Adrien’s hand seemed to move on its own as it slipped into her free left hand and pulled it up slightly to hover in front of his chest  
“Marinette, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always here,” He assured her. The action of him holding her hand to his chest made Marinette’s mind race. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears.  
“T-thanks, Adrien.” She stared at his green, vibrant circles that stared back at her. She was caught off guard by her phone ringing on the table, shaking the small plate that Tikki had left there. Marinette quickly made her way to the table and cleaned up the tableware before picking up the phone. “Hello?” She answered. Adrien could hear the volume of the other person’s voice, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. “No!” Marinette groaned in shock.  
“What?” He mouthed to her when she glanced over. She held up a finger to hush him.  
“Do I really have to go?” She asked, rolling her eyes as the other person spoke. “Fine, but only because you told me too.” She hung up the phone and threw it gently onto the nearby couch, plopping down next to it.  
“What was that about?”  
“That was Alya, and guess who invited us for a high school reunion?”  
“Who?” They had only graduated a few months ago, who would already want to have a reunion?  
“Lila Rossi.” Adrien’s face fell flat at the name. They both knew of the other’s hatred of the girl. Well, Adrien wouldn’t describe his emotions towards Lila as hatred, more like disliking her. Marinette, on the other hand, had a burning hatred for Lila. Lila joined Hawk Moth at the top of her list of people she hated.  
“Really, why?” He kept his composure, knowing that he would have to do the same thing when he heard all of Lila’s lies at the party.  
“She was supposedly travelling during graduation and wanted to see her classmates again. It's being hosted at a theatre,” Marinette rolled her eyes, seeing right through her lies. Alya had forced her to go, in a fit of good spirit and showing Lila that her stories hadn’t affected her well after high school.  
“Do we have to go?”  
“I’m going, you don’t have to though,” Their quick back and forth conversation that had bloomed from spending so much time together had reminded her of the post-battle conversations that happened between her and Chat.  
“Is Alya making you go?” Adrien cocked an eyebrow, showing more similarities to Chat then she had expected.  
“Yeah…” Her voice trailed. She felt Adrien’s gaze linger on her a moment longer before he got up to get his now pouring coffee.  
“When is it?” He asked, cautiously testing his coffee’s sugar to milk ratio.  
“Tonight at 4,” Marinette sauntered to her room and got changed, ready for a day of errands. She had finished work that was due on that day but she still needed to get some groceries. Adrien joined her after he got ready and they set off to the store.

As she walked down the barren aisles of the local supermarket, Marinette felt her kwami leaving her purse and excitedly grabbed a box of Chips Ahoy cookies that sat on the shelf and threw the box into the cart. Adrien agreed to take care of the freezer and fridge needs while Marinette took care of cleaning and cooking supplies.  
“Tikki!” She let out a hushed yelp. Tikki quickly disappeared back into her bag, giggling at her reaction. Adrien excitedly ran down the other end of the aisle towards Marinette, holding a box of Fudgsicles in his hand.  
“Marinette look! They have Fudgsicles!” Adrien resembled an excited child when their parents would allow them to take home a new toy.  
“Have you had these before?” Marinette asked, taking the box from his hand.  
“I did when I was little but I haven’t been able to have one as a young adult!” He was practically jumping up and down, so Marinette couldn’t tell him to go put it back. She placed the box in the cart and they continued to shop, seeing Adrien sneak camembert into the cart, like he did every shopping trip.

She thought that he liked camembert since she had bought some the first week of living together for a dinner she was making for a friend’s party. She did catch Adrien sneaking some into his pocket, but she thought nothing of it.

When they arrived home, Marinette made sure to put the Fudgsicle box into the pullout freezer underneath the fridge first, so they would still be frozen by the time they finished unpacking groceries into their respective places. Like usual, Marinette was assigned to the fridge and freezer and Adrien was assigned to cabinet and pantry.  
“Marinette, did you grab these?” Adrien held up a box of Chips Ahoy cookies. She quickly panicked, knowing that she had mentioned liking Oreo’s more than Chips Ahoy just a few days ago.  
“Yes?” She lied, knowing that there was no way to dig herself out of this hole. Adrien shrugged letting the action go and continued to take out boxes and cartons, dividing his share apart from hers.

Later, as it rounded 3:00 pm, Marinette got into the shower and quickly washed and conditioned her hair. Marinette was known for taking short, quick showers. She had grown accustomed to her quick routine, being late almost every day had paid off in one sense of the word. As she hummed along to the Grim Grinning Ghosts, her current favourite song for upcoming Halloween, she brushed through her hair, gently tugging on the small knots she found. Her body was mostly dry while a towel wrapped around her, but her freshly shaved legs were still wet, water running down onto the tile floor.

Marinette finished brushing her hair and made her way to her room, the towel still wrapped around her. As she passed by Adrien, she thought nothing of it. He had seen her leave the bathroom in just a towel before, but Adrien couldn’t help but admire the way her wavy hair rested on her almost bareback and the way the towel strangely wrapped around her features. Adrien shook his head, clearing his mind of rude thoughts.


	3. A drunken mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While at Lila's reunion party, Marinette eyes a bottle of bubbly champagne and soon makes a regretful decision because of it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note(s): All (human) characters have been aged up to about 19-23 but the characters in the show are 13-15. Also, this chapter contains alcohol, please note that the legal drinking age in Paris, where this story is set, is 18.

Adrien slung the baby blue button-up over his shoulders, poking his arms through the holes. He buttoned up the front, leaving 2 remaining buttons at the top open. Though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, he wanted to impress Marinette tonight. She hadn’t seen Adrien all dressed up, other than in photoshoots.

As he buckled a dark brown belt around his navy blue jeans, he caught a glimpse of Marinette walking around her room, the door slightly ajar. His eyes were caught by the way she had curled her hair and the way it complimented her red dress. The colour red made Marinette look oddly familiar to him as if he had seen it on someone else before. Adrien quickly looked away when he saw Marinette reach for her door, coming out to the kitchen and stuffing cookies in her side bag, along with her phone. Adrien thought nothing of it. She probably just wanted a snack for the road. 

“Are you ready to go?” She exclaimed from the kitchen. 

“Are Alya and Nino here?” Adrien asked, spitting out the last of his toothpaste into the bathroom sink. 

“Yeah, Alya just texted me.” Marinette checked her phone, seeing the text Alya had sent her a few moments ago still on her lock screen. 

“Okay, let’s go.” He emerged from the bathroom and they left the apartment, locking the door behind them. Marinette noticed how Adrien’s fingers hovered around hers as they walked, and she quickly pulled her hand away to avoid the heart rush that would be caused if they’re hands brushed or accidentally interlocked somehow. Marinette fiddled with the keys in her hand, hoping Adrien didn’t notice her awkwardness. 

Alya and Nino greeted the two as they entered the car in the back seat, and they drove off, arriving at the previously mentioned theatre that Lila had somehow rented out. As they entered through the velvet-lined doors, they were greeted with a phony smile and an even phonier high pitched voice. An excited Lila came barreling towards them, hugging each of them with even more excitement then she let off. “Adrien! Marinette! So nice to see you two!” She said through her teeth. They both flashed a fake smile at the brunette and made their way to their other high school friends. 

Mylene and Ivan were living together with Mylene’s dad, Rose and Juleka had been travelling, seeing beautiful landscapes together and Nathaniel and Marc were attending the same art school. Marinette noticed a bar that was set up along one of the walls. Her eyes were caught by the bubbly champagne that was being served and quickly went over to try one. It was her favourite brand of alcohol but the bottles were too expensive to always buy. “What are you drinking?” Adrien sat down next to her. 

“Ruinart Bubbly Champagne.” She read the bottle that was left by the bartender. Marinette wouldn’t admit it aloud but she might have had too much to drink, her obscured vision and the way she found everything funny is what set it off. 

“How much did you drink Marinette?” Adrien asked, taking the glasses from her hand.

“Not much, you should try some!” Adrien reluctantly took a sip of the liquid. It did taste good so he ordered one of his own and soon they were both drunk, laughing at each other’s slurred words.

Luckily, Neither were the type of people who got loud when they were drinking, they got giggly, thinking everything was hilarious enough to burst out laughing. Alya and Nino quickly noticed they’re odd behaviour, and quickly asked if they were ready to go, only for Marinette to almost fall over when she tried to stand up straight. 

“Ugh, Marinette you’re drunk.” Alya huffed holding her arms under Marinette’s forearms to support her weight. 

“No, I’m Ladybug!” Marinette drunkenly exclaimed. Alya rolled her eyes. 

“Ok, you really are drunk, Adrien how are you?” Alya turned to the blonde seeing his slight sway as he sat. 

“I’m Chat Noir!” His words were slurred, and his balance wasn’t great, just like Marinette. But the more Adrien drank, the more flirty he got. He dropped smooth lines to Marinette in the backseat of Nino’s car and Marinette giggled at each one. 

“They kinda do sound like Ladybug and Chat Noir, don’t ya think?” Nino asked jokingly. 

“Yeah, if Ladybug was a fashion designer crushing on the same boy for almost 5 years and Chat Noir was the son of a famous fashion designer,” Alya sighed. As they helped the pair up to their apartment complex, courtesy of the elevator, they laid them each in their respective beds. Alya and Nino were sure they would fall asleep soon so they left the pair. Little did they know, Marinette had gotten up and went over to Adrien’s room and they both drunkenly confessed their love for one another. 


	4. The headache-inducing morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wakes up from her drunken night out with her friends, but she didn't wake up in the comfort of her own bed, or in the comfort of her own clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note(s): All (human) characters have been aged up to around 19-23 but the characters in the show are 13-15. Also, This chapter has some suggestive themes so if you aren't comfortable with that, skip this chapter

Marinette woke up with a pounding headache and a lack of clothes on her body. She stared down at the red dress that was on the wood floor. As she realized that she wasn’t in her room, or her bed, something started moving beside her. She looked over to see her blonde roommate, just now waking up and turning over to his other side. Their eyes met and he quickly sat up. A moment of silence fell between them as they looked into each other’s shocked eyes. 

“AHHHH!” They both screamed in terror, realizing something about the night before. Marinette quickly got up and wrapped the blanket around her while Adrien stood up, standing in a pair of shorts. 

“What the hell happened last night?” Marinette exclaimed, picking up her dress. 

“We went to Lila’s party and you were drinking and…” He paused, realization hitting him in the face. “You got me drunk!” 

“I did?” 

“Yeah, you told me to try your drink!” He pointed at her in an accusing way. 

“And you listened to me?” She yelled. 

“I-” Adrien’s response was cut off by Marinette groaning and stomping off back to her room. The next week was filled with awkward tension and whenever they looked at each other, and one trying to avoid the other as much as possible. 

Neither mentioned it, until Friday of next week when Alya had come over to help Marinette with a modelling project. Alya managed to pull it out of the bluenette after she noticed something off with her best friend. 

“YOU SLEPT WITH MARINETTE?” Alya practically burst into Adrien’s room, shouting the news. 

“You told her?” Adrien exclaimed at Marinette. Marinette hadn’t seen Adrien get this mad, not at her at least. 

“I’m sorry, it just kinda slipped out,” She whined. 

“You have got to tell me everything!” Alya sat the two down on Adrien's bed, only for them to quickly stand back up and move away from each other. Neither could be near the other without it being awkward. Alya continued to ask questions but neither answered, either because they honestly couldn’t remember the answer or they didn’t want to answer out loud. After Alya left, Marinette retreated to her room, but Adrien had a different plan. 

“Marinette?” Adrien knocked on the door lightly. 

“What?” An aggressive voice said from the other side of the door. 

“Can I come in?” He asked, hoping she would agree. 

“Why?” 

“I want to talk about last week…” 

“Why? There’s nothing to talk about,” 

“Marinette…” His voice trailed, persuading her to open the door herself. Marinette quickly opened the door and retreated back to her bed. Adrien sat away from her, trying to not make her uncomfortable. “Marinette, I’m really sorry, I honestly don’t remember anything,” He paused, waiting for some indication that she was listening to him. 

“I know but…” She mumbled. 

“But what?” 

“It’s nothing really,” She sat up and for the first time in a week, she was able to look at him in the eye. Adrien huffed, tired of her excuses that hadn’t worked on him ever. He knew how to read emotions even though the people he grew up with showed no emotion at all. 

“Marinette, tell me, I won’t judge,” His voice was calming for Marinette, calming her nerves to say what she was about to say. 

“Well, Ever since you gave me your umbrella in high school, I’ve kinda fallen in love with you,” She avoided his gaze, knowing that her cheeks were beet red. 

“Well, Ever since you gave me your lucky charm, I may or may not have fallen in love with you too,” He smiled. He had finally realized why he felt protective over her, why he cared about her wellbeing and cared about how others were treating her, he had fallen for her. Adrien leaned in close, letting the heat of the moment consume his rational thought. Marinette felt his hot breath on her lips as they got closer and closer. 

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears and she felt the wind almost get knocked out of her when their lips interlocked. His lips were soft and warm and her lips were glazed with the taste of her watermelon lip balm. Marinette felt her heart melt as he pulled away, only to kiss her again but with more passion. Memories of their previous night together came flowing back to her as she climbed on top of him, straddling her legs around his waist. Marinette encased his face in her hands, pulling him close as his back arched forward. 

Adrien woke the next morning at 9:30 am, according to the clock that sat on Marinette’s nightstand. He tried to turn on to his side, only to realize that a certain blue-haired woman was attached around his waist, her arm draped across his bare chest. He watched as her chest slowly moved up and down, her heavy breathing consistent. Adrien carefully moved from her grasp and pulled his flannel pyjama pants over his legs. 

He set to the kitchen, making her favourite breakfast meal, waffles. The waffle iron that he made them in reminded him of the one he had bought Ladybug for Christmas, even though she insisted that he didn’t get her anything, he remembered a certain comment she made about it while they were out patrolling. 

“Good morning,” A small voice said from behind him. Adrien looked behind him, seeing Marinette wearing the black shirt that he had been wearing the previous day. As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, Adrien could only admire her beauty, the sunshine shining from behind her created a silver lining around her silhouette. 

“Morning.” He smiled, not his fake modelling smile but the one Marinette had seen so many times during the time they spent together. “How did you sleep?” 

“Good, what about you?” She asked, joining him in the kitchen. She noticed the iron was plugged in and now cooking. 

“Perfect,” He smiled before placing a kiss on her forehead. He opened the iron to see a perfect waffle, sitting in the hot metal mold. “Here you go!” He said cheerfully, placing the waffle on a plate. 

“Oh, you didn’t have to make me breakfast,” She said, taking the plate from his hand. She opened the fridge and took out a butter container and a maple syrup bottle. 

“I wanted to though,” He smiled, turning back to the stove to make himself a waffle. They both sat on the couch, watching the morning news anchor boom about the latest events in Paris. Photos of Ladybug and Chat Noir leaping through Paris reminded them both of a scheduled patrol that was happening tonight. Adrien wasn’t sure what he would tell Ladybug, did he have to tell her that he had fallen in love with another girl. It wouldn’t bother her, she had been annoyed by his past attempts at flirting. Then something else crossed his mind. Would he have to tell Marinette that he was Chat Noir? 

Marinette was thinking the same thing. She knew that it was a bad idea but she couldn’t hide secrets from Adrien. Disappearing randomly would put a strain on their relationship and if Adrien managed to find the miracle box, he would ask questions. She could simply write it off as a gift from a visiting relative, but he would become suspicious when she disappeared for long amounts of time. Almost on cue, the news channel switched to a live feed of an Akuma fight that was happening downtown. “I’m going to get ready for the day!” She exclaimed, almost on instinct and a little too loudly to be considered normal. 

“Uh, yeah me too,” Adrien stood up and quickly went to his room. Marinette transformed and pushed open her window, climbing out and swinging to the scene of the battle. 

Ladybug landed nimbly near the villain, Chat Noir, getting a hit in before landing beside her. “Can we finish this quickly?” Ladybug asked, wanting to get back to Adrien before it was suspicious. 

“Hopefully,” Chat said. Adrien wanted to get back to spending the day with Marinette. 

“Ladybug, Chat Noir,” The fire-themed villain smirked. The fiery glow of her eyes seemed to burn brighter than the rest of her body. “Say goodbye to your fifteen minutes of flame!” The villain joked, creating a pit of lava beneath them. Chat Noir tackled Ladybug, pushing her and himself out of the way. The villain wore a red headband that seemed to stand out to Ladybug. 

“That must be where the Akuma is!” She thought to herself. Ladybug wasted no time and called her Lucky Charm, a black-spotted red water bottle falling from the sky. Ladybug stared at the bottle in confusion for a brief moment before the villain gave her a hint to defeat her. 

“It doesn’t matter how much you move, stray, I have very good aim!” She exclaimed as Chat dodged the flame bolts. Her vision highlighted the villain’s eyes, then the water bottle and Chat. Ladybug loosened the cap just enough for water to leak out. 

“Chat!” She caught his attention, quickly throwing the water bottle to him. Chat quickly hit the water bottle with his staff and the bottle cap burst off, splashing the water in the villain’s eyes. The villain yelped before rubbing her aching eyes, giving Ladybug a chance to cling herself onto the villain’s shoulders and grabbed the headband, smashing as she threw it to the ground. Ladybug caught the Akuma and Chat agreed to get the confused civilian home since he had more time left then she did. 


	5. Special benefits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After thinking about her 'situation', she asked Tikki about what to do, making sure to mention that she was still the guardian and if something could benefit in her favour from that fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All (human) characters have been aged up to about 19-23 but the characters in the show are 13-15

Marinette left her last class of the day, relieved and ready to go home after a test she had spent that whole night studying for and a tiring Akuma attack right after the said test. As she drove down the street, Tikki sat on her dashboard admiring the world without having to worry about anyone seeing her. Tikki resembled a dashboard decal that Marinette had spotted one day at a local market, so if someone asked what it was, she could simply write it off as a decal she had bought. As long as people only saw it from afar, she was fine to sit atop her dashboard when Marinette knew that she would have a particularly boring day.   


“Tikki, can I ask you something?” She asked, stopping at a red light and sitting back into her driver’s seat.   
“Sure Marinette, what is it?” Tikki flew off the dashboard and landed on the passenger seat.   
“Should I tell Adrien that I’m Ladybug?”  
“Marinette! If you tell him you’ll be putting him in danger!” She scolded.   
“I know but I feel like I’m lying to him.” She sighed, looking at the small kwami that sat in the car seat that looked huge compared to her. “It doesn’t seem fair,”  
“This about being fair, it’s about keeping him safe” Despite her shoulder angels’ words, she still wanted to tell him, she wanted to be completely honest without having to lie about where she was going whenever an Akuma appeared randomly.   
“Tikki, since I’m the guardian, does that give me any benefit in this situation?” Marinette asked. Part of her hoped that maybe Tikki would agree with her, though a reason as to why it would give her special benefits wasn’t clear to her.   


“I don’t know, Master Fu never mentioned if someone who was a guardian and a miraculous holder who was still saving the world day after day, was allowed to share identities with a teammate,” Tikki looked to through the small bit of windshield she could see from her height, thinking aloud. “I’ll have to think about it, but maybe you should too,” Tikki knew that Adrien was Chat, and Plagg knew that Marinette was Ladybug so she and Plagg would need to meet privately to discuss what happens next, knowing that Adrien was most likely asking his kwami the same thing that Marinette was asking her. 

“Plagg, Marinette will be home any minute now,” Adrien sighed, flopping himself down on the couch. The brown corduroy of the couch was uncomfortable but was almost soft to the touch.   
“That doesn’t answer my question. Did you get me more cheese, yes or no?” Plagg complained, eating his last piece of camembert in one large gulp.   
“I asked her to pick you up some,” He groaned. Relaxing on the couch was one of his favourite parts after an Akuma fight and his most favourite part would come soon. 

“Hey, babe!” Marinette said as she creaked open the door, Adrien jumped from the couch and made his way to her, placing a kiss on her lips.   
“Hey, Princess,” He smiled, taking the small convenience store bag from her hands and setting it on the kitchen counter before turning back to her. The nickname he started using recently reminded her of the days when Chat would visit her on her balcony, making flirty lines and making bad puns but the nickname was just a coincidence, right? “How was your day?”   
Marinette sighed, rubbing her temple. “Stressful, to say the least,”  
“I’m sure you did great on your test,” He assured her. Marinette smiled, realizing that he had remembered her big test that she had been stress eating, over.   
“How was your day off, Mr. Lucky?” She teased, taking off her coat and placing it on a mounted wall hanger. This was his favourite part after coming home from an Akuma attack, seeing her safe and sound.   
“It just turned from good to great,” He smiled, resting his hands in hers. Marinette smiled and leaned in slowly for a kiss. She closed her eyes slowly and their lips interlocked. Adrien’s hand moved to her waist and up her back, and her hands weaved into his hair. As she pulled away, she noticed a slight familiarity with the way his eyes almost glowed in the desaturated light. Her mind bounced to the thought of the way’s Chat’s eyes would glow at night during patrols. She refused the idea that Adrien was Chat but it became harder and harder to not think about whenever Adrien smirked at her after teasing her or the way his wet hair after a shower looked oddly familiar. Chat had been cutting back at the nicknames and flirting with Ladybug recently, ever since she had confirmed her relationship with Adrien. 

“Plagg, this is serious!” Tikki exclaimed, watching Plagg rummage through the pantry.   
“Cool it, Sugarcube,” He sighed, returning to the fridge to find his stash of camembert. “They’re already dating, what’s the big deal?”   
“I fear that Adrien will catch on when he sees Marinette disappearing whenever an Akuma is around. What if he finds the miracle box?” Tikki worried.   
“Would it be so bad if they did find out, it’s not like either one will be disappointed,” Plagg explained, gobbling down another piece of cheese.   
“It has worked out in the past,” Tikki’s voice trailed. Most of their previous owners had revealed themselves to each other and it didn’t have major consequences, except for one incident that neither of them don’t like to remember. “Has Adrien asked anything about it?” 

“No, but I can tell something has been on his mind,” Plagg wasn’t one to show emotions, but he cared for Adrien, Adrien had his best friend almost.   
“Do you think we should encourage them to do it?”   
“I’m going to.” Plagg left for Adrien's room where he was fast asleep, and Tikki agreed with him, she wanted to be able to spend time with Plagg other than when both roommates were asleep, which rarely happened. 

  
Marinette woke up the next morning to silence throughout the apartment, along with a note on the fridge door. “I have an early class today, but I’ll be home later,” Signed Adrien. Marinette shrugged off the note and began making breakfast for herself, getting ready for her afternoon classes that day.   
“Marinette! I finally have an answer for you,” The small ladybug beamed with excitement.   
“Really?” Marinette perked up from her morning mood suddenly.   
“Yes, and I think you should do it!” Marinette was surprised by her kwami’s answer, normally she would say no, but Marinette wasn’t complaining about her kwami’s decision.   
“Should I do it tonight or wait longer or…” Her voice trailed. 

“Do it whenever you want,” Tikki shrugged, taking a cookie from the pantry. Marinette couldn’t be bothered to persuade her into eating something healthier for breakfast until she opened the fridge, finding a small box of strawberries. She remembered that the convenience store she had stopped by had a freshly picked berry stand where strawberries and other fruits were sold. Marinette cut up the strawberries into four’s and sprinkled a pinch of sugar over the top of the bowl. Though the meal wasn’t as healthy as she wanted for her kwami, it was better than a stack of cookies she would eat in an hour. 

As Marinette ended a call with a staff member of her favourite restaurant, she heard the sound of keys unlocking the door. She hopped from the dining table chair to greet her boyfriend, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Hey, babe!”  
“Hey, Princess, who were you talking to?” Adrien asked, flopping his bag onto the floor.   
“Oh nobody,” She cooed. “But are you free tonight, around 7?” She hadn’t realized how pointless making a reservation was when she hadn’t even known if he was busy.   
“Yes, but I have a lot of work to do first,” He looked at the watch that lay on his wrist. Marinette clapped her hands together in excitement, practically jumping up and down with joy.   
“Perfect! I just made reservations for us for a dinner date tonight,”   
“Oh, fancy dinner date, what are we celebrating?” Adrien cocked an eyebrow, smirking at her excitement.   
“Nothing, but I wanted to tell you something later tonight.” She folded the collar of his shirt over itself before looking back up to meet his curious eyes. “It’s a surprise!” She smiled before going to her room, leaving a worried Adrien to stand in the entranceway. 


	6. Balcony breeze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After planning a date for her and her boyfriend, Marinette fails to tell him her secret at dinner, opting for a balcony reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All (human) characters have been aged up to about 19-23 but the characters in the show are 13-15. Also, there is a small mention of alcohol so if it doesn't seem comfortable to you, skip this chapter.

“Should I do it tonight?” Adrien asked as he tied the long tine around his neck, running his hand down the neck of the tie. The brown tie accented the baby blue button-down shirt that was neatly tucked into fossil grey dress pants. As he looked into the mirror, he noticed Plagg have his third piece of cheese ever since he started to get ready.   
“I don’t care when you do it, kid,” He growled, chomping down on the camembert.   
“Plagg, Get that away from me, I don’t want to be smelling like camembert cheese tonight,” He batted away the kwami, plugging his nose at the pungent smell. Adrien worried what this certain surprise was, had she somehow found out about his double life? Was she breaking up with him and this dinner was a way to soften the blow. No. That can’t be it. She smiled her genuine smile when she told him, so something good was going to come out of this. “Wait…”

He paused, looking up at his reflection after he spat out the leftover toothpaste-water mixture in his mouth. “What if she doesn’t like me being Chat Noir, so much so that she breaks up with me for it!”  
“I guess there’s only one way to find out!” He exclaimed, passing him the keys to his car. Adrien let out a nervous sigh, relieving him of his thoughts. Plagg was right, there was no way to tell except for the fact that she didn’t seem uneasy whenever Chat would drop by her balcony. 

Marinette dropped subtle hints to her alter ego, not too obvious, but subtle ones at that. Explaining information about past Akuma victims that there was no way she could have known, making a cat pun here and there were a few examples, but her blonde partner seemed to brush it off. Marinette was desperate once dinner had finished and they were standing in the elevator, silence falling between the two. Not the kind of silence that lingered in the air when they were both working at the dinner table, the kind of silence that fell between her and Chat when she had realized that he loved truly Ladybug when Andre the ice cream maker was Akumatized.   
“Do you want to spend the rest of the night on the balcony, the wind is warmer tonight,” Adrien looked to her, noticing her red dress. She still hadn’t known that he was Chat Noir, but he couldn’t wait any longer.   
“Sure, I’ll pour us a glass of champagne each,” She smiled as they walked in the door. The mild early spring breeze blew through Marinette’s hair as she sat cross-legged with her red dress still on.

Adrien sat in an identical balcony chair, one that was weaved with wicker strips throughout the backrest. Marinette set her drink on the glass table, nervously clinging onto the end of her dress. “Adrien, I need to tell you something,”   
“Uh, yeah…” He paused, almost regretting his next words before he even said them. “Me too,”  
“Now when I say this, you can’t change your perspective about me and you can’t worry about me, okay?” Adrien nodded, not having a single clue as to what she was getting at. “I don’t know how to say this but,” She paused, her mind racing with thoughts. It was certainly too late to back out, but her mind played through every worst-case scenario, over and over again. 

She took a deep breath, disregarding her thoughts and avoiding his gaze as she looked at the seam of her dress that ran throughout the cloth. “I’m….. Ladybug,” She meekly looked up, only to see his slightly shocked face. “But, you don’t have to worry about me, I have Chat Noir by my side, and my lucky charm will fix everything in the end and-” Her sentence was cut short by Adrien cupping her face and pressing his lips against hers. Marinette felt blood rush to her cheeks and her body jerk back in surprise, only to lean into his embrace.

They both let out a relieved sigh as he pulled away, their forehead still connected as he slowly opened his eyes to see her comforting smile, the own she had flashed Chat Noir with after he had gotten hit by an Akuma.   
“It’s okay, my lady,” He smiled, swiping his thumb across her cheek, back and forth with his iconic Cheshire grin. Marinette’s eyes moved from shock to panic than to comfort again. She panicked about how many times he had risked his life to save her, how many times he had willingly thrown himself into danger to protect her from harm. He kissed her again, knowing that she was the same brave, kind, caring, thoughtful and beautiful girl he had fallen in love with. Twice. 


End file.
